Fragile Immortality
by Zeh Wulf
Summary: (R for violence) Rin has enough problems as it is when a strange man shows up with an impossible goal: to kill an immortal. (complete)
1. The Human Bandage

Just a little bit of fluff for the Manji/Rin fans.  I nearly tore my hair out when the glorious reunion I keep envisioning didn't show up in Beasts.  Sigh.  I'm a romantic fool.  Anyway, this occurs… somewhere… in the manga.  Sure… Ahem, enjoy!

The Human Bandage

Rin gritted her teeth as she struggled to support Manji's weight.  His left arm was draped around her shoulders as he stumbled through the darkened alleyways beside her.  The other was wrapped up in the remains of her outer kimono and tucked under the arm Rin wasn't using to keep her bodyguard balanced.  There were a couple of fingers keeping the arm company, but Rin tried not to think about that fact.

            Another day, another crazed Itto-Ryu member trying their damndest to kill an immortal and the girl who'd hired him.  Rin quickly shut the images out of her mind and the doubts these battles brought up.  She could worry about those things in the morning.  Right now she needed to make sure certain grouchy samurai healed properly.  

            "Watch it, you idiot, that hurts!" the samurai in question growled.  Her grip around his waist had shifted and she'd inadvertently pressed against one of his many wounds.  Most of the little ones had already been stitched back together by the blood worms, but a sizeable hole in his abdomen was sluggish to close.  

"Sorry," Rin muttered and sighed in relief as they finally reached their shack.  

With little ceremony, Manji dropped to the floor just inside the doorway.  Rin stumbled at the sudden loss of his weight.  He groaned and pressed his finger-lacking hand to the wound in his stomach.  Rin knelt beside him and tried to puzzle out the fastest way to get him back together.  In addition to everything else, his right shoulder had been sliced through almost down to the bottom of his ribcage.  The hunk of torso wouldn't heal right unless it was bound to the rest.

            "Manji, come here," Rin beckoned, quickly deciding on a plan of attack.  She helped him scoot across the floor closer to the inside wall.  Leaning against it, she tugged at him until he was leaning against her.  

            "What," he asked as she reached around him and used his chest as a table to unwrap his limbs on.  

            "I'm going to put you back together," she mumbled, concentrating on finding the right order of fingers in the dark.  Luckily he'd only lost the last three or her plan wouldn't have worked as well. 

            "Give me your hand," she said, tucking the fingers between her own, stifling the urge to giggle at the sick parody of her golden wasp attack.  She steeled herself against the wave of hysteria that washed through her, leaving her drained.  The evening had taken more out of her than she'd realized.  

            Manji brought his hand up and she pressed it against his chest with her own, aligning it so that the fingers could reattach properly.  Next, she took his arm and tucked it back into place, wrapping her free arm around his chest to keep it in place while simultaneously pressing the shoulder wound closed.

            "There," she let out a sigh of satisfaction as her work was complete, "you'll be fixed up in no time." 

            Manji grunted as a response, relaxing against her to wait out the healing process.  Rin felt her face flush slightly as her objective mindset faded away now that everything was sorted out.  A muscle in her foot twitched, causing her leg to jump slightly, making it shift against Manji's.  She tried to ignore the warmth of his legs pressed against her own and the strangely comfortable way he fit in her arms.  With a tired sigh, he let his head rest against her shoulder, the spiky ends of his hair brushing her jaw line.  

            Rin swallowed heavily at the forced intimacy, fighting to find another way to describe the situation she was in.  Perversely, her mind kept mulishly running into one statement over and over… there was a man lying between her legs.   

            _Deep breaths, Rin, she told herself sternly, closing her eyes and setting her mouth into a grim line.  She was just being a human bandage.  That was all.  There was nothing remotely intimate about the situation, only a nurse doing her best to mend a patient. _

Manji sighed in her arms, causing her fingers to caress his scarred chest.  He shifted a little against her, the side of his head brushing against her cheek.  Her face bright pink, Rin coughed a little and forced her voice to sound natural.

            "Are you feeling better?" she asked.

            "Yeah," Manji muttered, exhaustion plain in his voice, "But it's hard to get comfortable with such small pillows."

            On one hand she was grateful that he'd successfully managed to dispel any lingering embarrassment she'd had about the situation.  On the other hand...

Rin gritted her teeth, grinding her words out, "Is that so?" She struggled to push him off of her, letting go of his hand and shoving against his back angrily.

            "Hey, hey," he protested, "Quit that!  Some nurse you are!" he sat forward as she scrambled up, hissing as the shoulder wound tore open again, half healed, and clutching at his arm to keep it in place.

            "IDIOT!" Rin shouted, kicking him in the leg and stalking off to the corner of the room where they kept the bedding.  Seething, she pulled her futon out and began to make up her bed.

            "Hey, Rin, come on," Manji tried for a placating tone, "Don't leave me like this, I'll heal crooked."

            "So go find a nurse with 'big pillows' to put you back together," she suggested, snapping her blanket open violently.

            "Alright, alright, that was uncalled for," he conceded, trying to get to his feet but falling back as his stomach wound pulled.  Rin flinched at his grunt of pain and forced herself to face him.  She felt her anger rush away with a sigh at his pathetic form, trying to keep his arm on with half attached fingers.

            Grumbling, she dragged the blanket back with her, shoving him forward none to gently as she resumed her seat behind him.  He leaned against her again as she spread the blanket over his bare chest and wrapped her arms around him, holding the various wounds closed.  

            "Just a human bandage," she muttered as her patient shifted again, finding a comfortable position.  

            They sat in silence for awhile, the crickets outside the only noise in the room besides their breathing.  Rin sighed once and leaned her cheek against Manji's head, feeling the trials of the day catch up to her all at once.  

            Eventually, the wounds were stitched up enough that her presence wasn't needed anymore.  Manji stirred as the blood worms complete their work, feeling a little bit guilty about his earlier comment.  The girl was an idiot, but she did take care of him when he was hurt… which was often.  

            "Hey, Rin," he said, "you can let go now." 

            He was met by the sound of her soft breathing.  With a start, he realized she'd fallen asleep.  A rueful grin ghosted across his lips as he cautiously tried to sit up, not wanting to disturb her.  

            Rin mumbled something in her sleep and hung onto him gamely.  Manji sat back in surprise, not expecting the unconscious gesture.  Her cheek nuzzled against his head and her hold around him tightened a bit in a brief hug.  Manji sat dumbfounded for a few long minutes before letting out a sigh of defeat.  

            "You're gonna be stiff in the morning," he warned the sleeping girl.  Then he closed his eyes and let the exhaustion he'd been keeping at bay wrap him in darkness.  Sleep gathered him in its warm embrace, promising to ease the sore muscles and dispel the fogginess in his head.  Still, he couldn't help but note as he drifted off, the promises weren't nearly as comforting as the arms that gently held him.  

Is there a law against excessive cheese?  ^_^;; Bad for me, if so…


	2. Waking Up

^o^ Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!!!!  So you like the fluff, eh?  Good to here.  It's good for the soul… at least that's the justification I use when writing it.  Anyway, here's a little… something.  It takes place the morning after as "Bandage."  It's funny… no, not the story, my thoughts… When I wrote these I automatically fell into this sort of ironic humor, and when you really look at it… all of the fluffy moments in BOTI are, well, humorous.  Yeah, sure, sure, there are some "serious" fluffs, but the majority are funny.  So… yeah, just an observation.  

            Oh yeah, I realized earlier that I didn't put the "disclaimer" for the first fic… ahem… well I don't own BOTI now and I didn't then, so there.  And really, how necessary is this statement?  Cause… if I did own them… it wouldn't really be fan fiction, now would it?  And, frankly, I don't have much interest in hauling around grumpy, foul-mouthed samurai all the time.    

Now, enjoy your cheese. 

**Waking Up**

On most days, waking up was a pleasant experience for Rin.  Her mind would drift languidly into consciousness, letting her relish in the few minutes where her body was still relaxed enough from sleep to make the thin futon feel like four or five stacked on top of each other.  She would stretch, feeling the delicious tingle as her muscles remembered what it was like to move.  And finally, when she could no longer ignore the light filtering through her eyelids, she would roll to her feet and begin a new day.

Today was not one of those days.

"Mmph," she stifled a groan of discomfort.  She hurt.  It felt like every muscle in her body was cramped, that even the slightest movement would result in agony until she could work out the kinks.  Luckily, she couldn't move.

Her eyes snapped open with the realization.  She couldn't move.  Something had her pinned to the wall, trapping her.  Panic flooded her so quickly that she had to immediately close her eyes again against a wave of dizziness.  Then, after a stern mental slap, her memory tactfully decided to replay the events of the previous evening.  

"Manji, get off," she muttered, more than a little annoyed by the false alarm.  It wasn't his fault that she'd panicked, but she couldn't help shoving a little of the blame on him.  After all, he was the one still lying on her.

For the second time in the three minutes she'd been awake, Rin panicked.  Why was Manji still here?  Why wasn't she tucked safely in her futon and blanket with many blissful feet lying between them?  Not that she didn't enjoy the feel of his body in her arms…

Another mental slap was applied and Rin gave him a hard poke in the chest.  He grunted but didn't stir, his breathing still deep and even in sleep.  Rin carefully schooled her thoughts to a safer medium, like resuming her roll as nurse.  She examined the calloused fingers still interlaced with her own, pleased when she saw that they had healed properly.  Then she reasoned that it would probably be wise to remove her hand now that it wasn't needed.  The slight blush that warmed her face was ignored.  

After a few more clinical pokes and prods, she nodded her head in satisfaction.  The blood worms had done their jobs beautifully.  Now she just had to wait until the immortal lug woke up so she could work on relieving her own abused muscles.  

"Manji, wake up," she tapped at his chest again impatiently.  Part of her was enjoying the pleasant feeling of being embraced by a trusted friend.  She smiled at the thought.  Manji was certainly trusted, and certainly a friend, and certainly… The other part of her then forcibly pointed out that unless she got up soon her bladder would give out.       

"Manji," she tried again, patting the side of his face that wasn't pressed into her neck, "come on, I know you can't still be asleep," she admonished.  A slight snore was the only response.  

Rin huffed in irritation.  She'd been nice so far, keeping her voice pitched low and hands gentle, but her patience was wearing thin.  In a second she was going to start shouting and hitting, considerate awakenings be damned.  

_He got those wounds because of me,_ the thought popped into her head unbidden.  Rin bit her lower lip, feeling guilty.  Despite her uncomfortable position, Manji _had earned his rest.  It wasn't fair for her to yell at him for recovering from a battle.  After all, it was just as much her fault as his that she was in this situation.  She shouldn't have fallen asleep before he was healed in the first place.  _

"Fine," she gave up quietly, "I guess I can wait a little bit longer."  Her hand strayed from where it still hovered by his cheek to his head, stroking the spiky hair affectionately.  

"What are you doing?" Manji's voice was loud and abrupt in the still morning of the little cabin.  Rin stiffened in surprise and pulled her hand away.  Her brain failed her for a minute, cheerfully distracted by the battle Shock and Embarrassment were having.  Ironically, the defending issue was identical for both contenders.  She'd been caught being intimate with him.  

Her mouth opened and closed silently before she finally managed to blurt out the only non-self-compromising statement hovering in her mind.

"You know, you really need a bath," she rubbed the oil between her fingers with a slight grimace.

Silence once again filled the cabin for a few tense minutes.

"Shiiiiiiiit," Manji groaned in disgust, stiffly pushing himself to his feet.  Rin remained motionless, regarding his back with wide, apprehensive eyes.  How would her bodyguard, a term she couldn't seriously associate with him anymore, react to this?  

"I save her ass and this is the thanks I get," the immortal muttered to himself and began rolling his shoulders loose.

A sigh that spoke of the normalcy of the moment escaped Rin's lips.  He hadn't noticed.  Or maybe he'd just ignored it.  Either way, nothing had changed.  Her mouth quirked in a smile as relief washed through her.  At the same time, though, she couldn't help but wonder how long she'd continue to feel it.  Their relationship was a cozy, platonic blanket that she'd huddled in gratefully for a while.  She was changing, though, outgrowing that blanket.  Everyday another part of her became cold and wanting.  It wouldn't be long before the desire to be warm again would drive her to shove the blanket into a certain man's scarred face, demanding a new one.  

_Leave it alone,_ she told herself sternly.  It was too early in the morning to be worrying about things like that.  Right now she needed to worry about the sore muscles in her back and neck.  Of course, an image immediately popped up in her mind.  

Perhaps she could ask for a massage.  

Perhaps he would agree to oblige her.  

Perhaps she should shut her very teenage-girl brain off right there.  

A steadying breath was taken.  When she felt in control of herself again, Rin braced her hand against the wall behind her and stood.  She yelped in surprise when she only made it halfway up before slumping back to the floor.  Manji turned to find her clutching at her legs, gritting her teeth in pain.

"What's wrong?" he asked, voice showing interest if not concern.  Rin didn't mind.  She hadn't expected any in the first place.

"My legs," she rubbed first at the right and then the left gingerly, "they're asleep."

"Mmm," her bodyguard gave her a neutral look before bending and hauling her to her feet.  Rin's breath hissed through her teeth as her legs suddenly caught fire, pins pricking the entire lower half of her body.  Manji shrugged an arm around her waist and walked to the door.

"Come on, Rin, walk it off," he advised cheerfully, practically dragging her as she stumbled along, legs less than responsive.  She flung her arms around his waist to keep from falling.

"This isn't helping," she protested, the momentary pain making her brain gloss over the eventual recovery she knew would come.  

"You're so weak," he remarked.  Her months of practice in reading his voice allowed her to pick up the amusement in his tone.  She punched a half hearted fist into his gut in protest.  There was nothing funny about her being handicapped. 

Manji grunted at the weak strike and chuckled, pausing to lower her onto the edge of the porch before turning back to the door.

"What are you doing?" Rin asked, twisting around to look back at him.  He appeared a second later, the little bucket with their bathing supplies swinging from one hand.  He waved it in her face a little as he passed.

"Making sure you can't gripe anymore," he explained, a wicked grin flashing on his face as he looked at her, "Want to come make sure I do a good job?"

Rin felt her face flush as she scowled at him, scathing protests sputtering on her lips as he continued down to the river, roaring with laughter.  After a few more minutes of seething she belatedly realized that her previous problem still hadn't been solved.  With one last curse she left the porch, tottering on still tender legs into the trees.  

A little introspection on Rin's feelings, yes?  I don't know about you, but I get that restless, "are you blind to what's happening here?" vibe from her in regards to their relationship, especially after the riceball incident in the beginning of volume 8.  As for this story… well, it might have more chapters.  I dunno.  Depends on if I get inspired.  I could easily do the cliché peek-in-bath scene that invariably happens in most romantic comedies (not that I consider BOTI to be this… but my one-shots certainly are), but I'm feeling especially dignified today.  Wait a minute… I'm writing cheesy fluff… Ah, please forgive me, fair readers.  I have committed a grievous error of judgment.  Delusions of grandeur are never pretty, ne?  Hehe, later!     


	3. Reflections

            Hello all!  Hehe, so people like this stuff?  That makes me happy.  I was just fed up with the fact that I couldn't find any Rin and Manji fiction on the web, or much BOTI fiction for that matter.  As you can see I've given this thing a new overall title.  "Waking Up" doesn't really work for the story as a whole where I'm planning to take it.  Anyway, here goes the second chapter in this cute little series.  I have an overall idea but I'm not sure how long it will take to get out.  There will be a "bad guy" for all you battle-fiends out there, but still humor and fluff intermixed.  Not in this chapter though… just a warning… anyway… here goes…

**Reflections**

            "I'm so hungry," Rin muttered darkly as she made her way gingerly back to the shack.  Her stomach growled in agreement.  She told her stomach to mind its own business.  Breakfast wasn't going to be anytime soon, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.  Again her mind walked through the reasoning process, trying to find the loophole that simply didn't exist.  

First of all, there wasn't food waiting for her in the shack.  They'd planned on going to the market yesterday, but things had obviously gotten a bit sidetracked.  That meant any breakfast she was going to have would require travel, either to the market or to a small restaurant.  However, that option was out of the question at the moment.   This was due to the liberal amount of Manji's blood that clung not only to her favorite kimono, but most of her visible skin.  She smelled, too.  Despite her condemnation of Manji's less than sanitary state, she was really in no better condition.  She was dirty and she smelled of blood.  

She needed a bath.

"No," she firmly reigned in her wayward mind yet again.  When she'd first realized how disgusting she felt, the overwhelming desire to be clean again had set her feet in the direction of the river almost before she was conscious of it.  The distant sound of splashing and a keyless baritone in the distance had jolted some sense into her.  She couldn't take a bath right now.  She'd just sent Manji in.  Even if she went further upstream, out of sight, he still had all of their bathing supplies.  He was probably using them right now, lathering up the soap to…

"NO," she'd practically shouted, physically turning her back on the mental image of her bodyguard bathing.  

"Rin?  You alright?" Manji's voice had floated through the trees.  To his credit, he'd actually sounded concerned.

"Fine," she'd called back, face burning, "Just hurry up, I need to wash before I can go get us some food."  

"Oh, really?  Are you sure you weren't just interested in taking me up on my offer?" his arrogant humor was like a slap in the face considering her thoughts only moments before.

"IDIOT!" she'd stomped back to the shack.  Well, she'd intended on stomping.  Really, she only got a few good thumps in before her cramped muscles informed her that they wouldn't tolerate any more abuse that day, thank you.  So she'd hobbled like a little old woman, contenting herself with a mental tirade instead.  She was mad.  More than mad, she was downright furious with him.  That he could think so lightly of her made her fingers twitch into an unconscious fist.  She wasn't so loose that she'd consider bathing with some guy like it was no big deal.  What did he take her for?  

It took her actually stopping and taking a deep breath to stop the irrational thoughts.  Rin slumped against the tree nearest to her, wrapping her arms around it to help support her shaky legs.  She'd have sat, but was too afraid that she wouldn't be able to get back up again.  If that happened either she'd have to call for Manji's help or wait for him stumble across her on his own.  That was something she really didn't want to deal with this morning.  She'd been having a hard enough time already; she didn't need to give him more fuel for his taunts.  And that was all they really were, taunts.  He didn't really mean the suggestive comments; he just enjoyed getting a rise out of her.  He liked teasing her.  Big brothers liked teasing their little sisters.  

"I'm such an idiot," she murmured, the rough bark of the tree rubbing against her cheek as she did.  Why did she even bother worrying about it?  She was a hypocrite after all.  If she didn't like the dance she should just step out of the circle.  The steps were boringly familiar, anyway.  Manji makes a lewd suggestion and Rin yells at him for it.  Maybe one of these days she should just let the little comments out, the comments that had started sneaking into her mind a while ago.  At first she hadn't noticed them, then she'd just written them off as adolescent curiosity, but they hadn't gone away like she thought they would.  Maybe one of these days she'd let herself say it.  Maybe she'd gather the courage to let him know exactly how she'd come to feel.

_"Want to come make sure I do a good job?" _

_"Yes…"_

  "No," she shook her head self mockingly and pushed away from the tree.  She leaned on Manji too much as it was, she didn't need to start burdening an innocent tree too.  There was no point in any of it, anyway.  He was Manji and she was Rin.  Bodyguard and little sister.  That was how he saw the relationship, she was pretty sure.  And even if she did tell him her secret longing, and he responded, would anything really change?  Or would it just be two bodies in one bed.  She didn't want that.  Well, that wasn't entirely true, she did want that… but it wasn't the only thing she wanted and she didn't know if Manji would be able to offer anything more.

And that uncertainty was the beginning and end of any advance she might have made.

"Now be a good girl and go wait on the porch," she scolded herself with a wry twist of her lips.  In so many ways she was still just a child.  

"Why don't you wait with me, instead?" a harsh voice breathed into her ear as the sudden pressure of fingers wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air…

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OH HO HO HO!!!  ::does an evil dance:: So mean am I!  Go ahead, wail and gnash thy teeth all ye want!!!  Mwa ah.  But didn't I say there would be a bad guy?  Hehe.  A depressing chapter, ne?  Are you sure you should have asked for more?  This is exactly the kind of twisted humor jaded college students have, after all.  Tsk tsk, fallen into the trap so easily.  Hehe, don't worry, I will relieve you shortly.  The next chapter will be out in a couple of days.  My fingers are still itching to type, but my deep seated sense of the dramatic demands that I end this chapter here.  

Ok, ok, I'll be a little nice, at least.  A bit of extraneous fluff since there wasn't, well, any in this chapter… I'll share with you my envisioned "reunion" between Rin and Manji in the manga…

Rin looked up across the clearing.  Her vision was blurry, she hadn't eaten in days, but the form was unmistakable.

"Manji," she croaked out, barely a whisper.  Then louder, "Manji!" 

He was running, she realized, running to meet her.  A tired smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and she pushed herself to her feet again, stumbling towards him.  

"Rin!" his voice was gruff and strange sounding, but still his.  She couldn't restrain the tears that slipped down her cheeks as the distance between lessened.

"Manji!" she half laughed his name, the joy of seeing him again making the past few days of hell fade from her mind.  In fact, all she could think of was the sound of violins playing some eerily familiar song that she didn't know the name of.  Did anyone, really?

And their silhouettes were frozen against the setting sun, arms outstretched, reaching for each other as the strains of that damnably familiar song filled the air.

::cracking up:: Ok ok, maybe not… actually, I can't really imagine what their reunion will be like.  I've seen cute spoiler pictures from after they meet up again, but none of them have been of the actual moment.  Though I can't believe that it will be any different from any other "moment" in BOTI...  Rin cries despite her intentions not to, Manji acts indifferent though you can tell he's not, there's a sort of implied mutual understanding of relief, yada yada… sigh… Whatever.  Anyway, I'll hurry up with the next chapter so don't get too anxious.  If you're not careful your face may stick like that, hehehe.          


	4. A Need for Hope

Weeeeeeeeell… This chapter will be, ah, short but hopefully not rushed.  I just realized tonight (Sunday) that this Friday I have my astronomy final, Roman civilization final, and final Japanese oral exam… I'm sure that I made this connection a long time ago but I think my brain panicked in the face of such an atrocity and blanked it from my mind as a self defense mechanism.  -_- So… short and sweet, yes?  The next chapter won't be out till sometime _after Friday seeing as I'll be buried to my neck in relativity equations, two thousand year old letters between generals, and "everyday activity" verb conjugations… Sigh.  Don't go to college, just don't.  I have only two finals during the week and a half long finals period… and of those is on the LAST DAY… grrrr, and what else would it be but my final written Japanese exam?  Can one love and hate a language at the same time?  Yes… yes one can.  Anyway, enough of __my tears and drama… let's take a look at Rin's, shall we?_

**A Need for Hope**

_ "Now be a good girl and go wait on the porch," she scolded herself with a wry twist of her lips.  In so many ways she was still just a child.  _

_"Why don't you wait with me, instead?" a harsh voice breathed into her ear as the sudden pressure of fingers wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air…_

Rin's mouth gaped open in a strangled cry as her hands desperately scrabbled at her throat.  She tried to twist out of the grip, thrust her elbows into a gut, kick a shin, _something, but felt the strength slowly leaving her body as it screamed for air._

"Manji," she croaked, the edges of her vision blurring, color dulling to grays.  In a remote, detached corner of her brain she noted the familiarity of the situation.  The first time she'd been strangled, she'd managed to survive.  Somehow, she didn't think she'd be that lucky twice.  With apathetic curiosity she watched the young girl struggle against her hooded assailant.  The girl tried to jam her fists into his groin but quickly had her arms pinned to her sides by the arm that wasn't slowly squeezing the life out of her.  Rin idly wondered whom the girl's death would touch.  There was no living family and few family friends.  The Itto Ryu would hardly notice the absence of a mosquito like her, they had more important enemies.  Manji, though...  Rin frowned sorrowfully; Manji would most likely miss the little girl, though she doubted it would ride too heavily on his heart.  There would be guilt, yes, but how many times could a man mourn for the same lost sister?

The ground took her by complete surprise.  She blinked exactly twice before the shock of once again being aware of her own body wore off and she was gasping in air like water.  Her limbs felt dead and tingly at the same time, and she watched her fingers spasm where they lay beside her face in the leaf litter.  A voice was speaking to her from somewhere, but she couldn't quite make out the words.  It sounded like he was speaking through glass.  

"M-manji," she managed, her brain still too numbed to process anything more than the name.  Suddenly, in her greedy bid for air, a piece of grit lodged itself in the back of her throat.  The world snapped painfully back into focus as Rin began to cough violently, trying to breathe and keep the dirt from getting into her lungs at the same time.  Her eyes were streaming with tears, she realized, and her face was burning up in the effort to live. She blinked away the tears as she forced her throat to relax and take in air in steady draughts.       

"-wouldn't kill you outright," the voice was saying pleasantly.  Rin rolled her eyes up to try and find the source.  He hadn't killed her.  The enemy was still here.  Where…?

"That would be pretty cheap, even for me.  I figure I'll give him a sporting chance to save you," he went on as Rin felt her arms jerked behind her and bound together with a coarse rope.  She cried out as her muscles protested the rough action.  The man cuffed her across the cheek, slamming the side of her face back into the ground.  Rin whimpered in pain as spots danced in front of her eyes.  

"Shut up, stupid bitch," the man snarled, "I don't want him here yet."

Rin's stomach lurched and the world spun dizzingly as she was hauled to her feet.  Her legs immediately buckled under her and the man cursed as he was forced to catch her.  He held her steady for a few moments and Rin used the time to right her senses, pinning her gaze on a tree until the rest of the forest solidified around it.  Then she was being dragged towards the cabin.  She stumbled and weaved for the first few feet before she caught the rhythm of the pace.  Her legs still wobbled beneath her, though.  She was sure every bone and muscle in her body had been liquefied.  She felt like she would seep into the ground at any moment.  

As they reached the shack, the man shoved her onto the porch, securing her to one of the awning beams with another piece of rope.  Rin looked at him clearly for the first time.  

"Who are you?" her voice was strained and quavering.  The man glanced up at her in surprise and smirked.

"You were nearly killed and already you're spitting and hissing?" he chuckled and stood, stretching his arms behind him leisurely.  

Rin thought about pointing out that she'd been "nearly killed" more times than she'd like to count in the past couple of weeks alone but decided it wasn't worth the breath.  Right now she was more content to enjoy the feeling of being able to breathe rather than trying to impress a would-be assassin.  No; a member of the of the Itto Ryu, she decided.  She'd certainly tangled with enough of them to know the warning signs.  

First, between what he'd been saying and the fact that she wasn't dead, she could surmise that she was bait.  No surprises there.  Second, the bastard was stretching and flipping a pair of steel somethings through simple patterns.  He was nondescript in appearance, the only off thing about his presence being the keenly observant shift of his eyes and the sinew in his arms that was obviously not from heavy labor.  He was an ex-samurai, assassin, cut-throat thug, or whatever.  They came from all different backgrounds; his was probably no more surprising than the last one's.  Besides, background didn't have much bearing in the Itto Ryu, only the ability to cut down the enemies of the growing school.  In her eyes there might as well have been a red warning flag attached to his head.

"Shit, how long does it take him to take a bath?" the man thumped down onto the porch next to her, apparently bored with his warm up.  Rin stared at him warily, wondering just how she would play into this game.  An observer only?  Or would he rough her up a little more to get Manji's blood boiling?  He noticed her stare and grinned at her crookedly.

"Don't worry, missy," he gave her a broad wink that made Rin's skin crawl, "If your hire man is as good as everyone says he is, you don't need to worry about a thing," he shrugged, "I won't lie to you, though.  Wouldn't want to get your hopes up." 

Rin shrank back unconsciously as his gaze fixed on her face, "The boy you bumped into last night was at least three skill levels my junior."  Again he shrugged, the unsettling laughter spilling from his mouth.  He didn't need to say anymore to frighten her and he knew it.  Manji had barely managed to pull last night's battle off.  Even then, it had only been her haphazard attack and the more than lucky hit in the man's eye that had given them the upper hand.  No chance of that happening twice.  It was probably why he'd taken the time to tie her up.  She wasn't much of a threat, as she knew word must have spread through their ranks, but there was always that slim chance.  Smart of him to eliminate it.  He was also probably familiar with Manji's style and weaknesses.  The bastard was right; she had no reason to get her hopes up.  

Still, Manji always managed to walk away from his battles, no matter how desperate or limb deprived he was.  And if _he lost there was absolutely no way she could survive.  She was alive by grace already.  _

She had to hope.               

"Nothing personal, mind you," the man went on, suddenly standing and twitching the blades in his hands in nervous anticipation.  Manji must be coming back, she guessed.  

"I don't really give a shit about doing Anotsu favors like other people.  I just thought how intimidating it would be if I could say I'd killed an immortal."  He looked back at her, his smile chilling her to the bone.  There was no hesitation in his expression, only absolute confidence in his success.  

"You can't," she protested, tears springing to her eyes with the sudden wave of terror that swept through her.

The man nodded his concession, "Well, maybe not.  No one's done it, after all," he rolled his shoulders and turned his back fully toward her then.  In the distance she could see Manji lazily strolling through the trees towards them, basket in one hand and sword in the other.

"I heard if you cut their heads off," he trailed off before picking back up again with a laugh, "but if that doesn't work I can just slice him completely apart and scatter the pieces.  Hard to regenerate when you're torso is in a different town than your arms, right?" 

Rin stared at his back in horror, the image of her being forced to carry bits of Manji across the countryside flashing through her mind.  That was if she hadn't been hacked into little bits by then herself.  

Oh yes, she definitely had to hope.  

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wow, that was actually longer than I'd intended.  More the good for you, I guess… or not, since most of it isn't plot-moving.  So we have a nameless, psychotic Itto Ryu punk, a depressed and potentially brain damaged Rin, and a freshly washed and pressed Manji.  Damn, smelling so good just to get all bloody again.  Eh, such is the life of Manji.  So who do you think will win?  Eh?!  Eh?!  Hehehe, well I guess it could go either way, really.  This dude seems pretty determined and is obviously skilled.  Oh the suspense!  Oh the drama!  And where the hell did the fluff go?!  This is supposed to be a romance genre thing, right?  I'm sure you can deal with it, you're big kids.  Alrighty, it's time for me to crash.  Five games of DDR earlier tonight and it's now 1am with a full day of school and studying ahead… why do I abuse myself so?  Wakarimasen.  Ahhhh, a whole lot of that tomorrow… ::shoots a glare at her Japanese book:: Bah.


	5. Blurring Steel

Many apologies for the lateness of my posting!  This weekend was pleasant little slice of hell.  I had tons of fun, but oh the tiredness.  Feel lucky that I'm updating this story first.  My Kenshin fic is suffering horribly, poor thing -_-;;  

In cooler news, everyone should go see Aye's BOTI site!  Www angelfire com/droid/aye My fics are soooo on it.  Cause I'm not completely embarrassed and excited at the same time or anything… yeah… 

Alright!  Let's see how Manji deals with our nameless little psycho, shall we?  Ah yes, and I'm going to try and be creative with my weapons here.  Forgive me please, and if there really is a weapon like this dude's out there, then we'll just rely on Rin's ignorance of it to explain the lack of name.  It's from her perspective, after all.  Oooh, and rated veeeeeery PG-13 for gore and graphic violence.  You've been warned.  I'd go with an R, but I just saw the new X-Men movie (PG-13), and… wow, so Wolverine doesn't hesitate, does he?  And why were the men decked out in happy forest colors to invade a mansion…?  Not many trees inside mansions, last time I checked.   

**Blurring Steel**

            Inwardly, Rin was screaming for her protector to run.  Outwardly, all she could manage was an apologetic stare.  What she did or didn't do didn't seem to affect on him, however.  After a fleeting glance in her direction, he'd locked his attention onto his opponent; a moment to reassure himself that the only danger threatening her came from the man facing him with steel.

            "Well, news travels fast in your group, doesn't it?" Manji drawled as he sauntered past the Itto Ryu member and plunked the bathing bucket onto the porch beside Rin.  

            "I just wanted to beat the crowd, that's all," the man returned with a grin as he lazily twirled his blades.  Try as she might, Rin couldn't name them.  She'd never come across such strange blades before, even after being introduced to Manji's multitude of unusual weapons.  They looked vaguely like reaping scythes, but the grip was all wrong.  The pole and the blade were both shortened and two long spikes complemented the curved blade.  One was simply an extension of the wood and the other pointed opposite the scythe.  The pair hung loosely at his sides now, though he flexed his grip on the hilts every so often.  Rin's forehead wrinkled as she tried to guess what special advantages such weapons could give him.

            "You ok, kid?" Manji's voice brought her head up.  He stood next to her, one arm leaning against the beam she was tied to.  His hair was damp and his clothing clung to him more snugly than usual.  Rin couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance that as soon as he'd gotten cleaned up he would get all bloody again.  She shifted the irrational thought aside.  Now was hardly the time or place.  With a stifled sigh, she nodded her well being to him silently and winced.  Her neck was probably one giant bruise by now and her temple had started throbbing earlier in protest to its violent introduction to the ground.  

            It was with more than a little surprise that she watched him shift away from the pole and lightly brush his fingers against her neck.  She stared at him, wide eyed in shock at the display of affection, as he turned from her to address the assassin.

            "Why do you punks always have to rough her up?" he asked, voice tense in Rin's ear.  Was he really saying this?  Was he actually showing a little bit of extra defensiveness about her?  She felt her eyes start to water and realized that she should probably blink before they dried out from staring.  As she ducked her head to do so, she couldn't help the tiny smile that tugged at her lips.  It felt good to be worried about.  Especially since it was Manji…

            "I mean, a little bug like her isn't worth swatting.  I'm the one you guys should worry about," the tact-inept bodyguard went on.  Rin gritted her teeth at the insult and whipped her head back up to glare at him.  Why did he always have to ruin everything?  One of these days she was going to forcibly teach him when to keep his stupid mouth closed.

            The other man shrugged and shifted his weight a little, "I don't know about the others, but I think it's amusing.  She's weak, but she's balls," he smirked at her, "if you'll excuse the analogy.  She's got the loyalty of someone like you, and Anotsu seems to be intrigued by her.  He hasn't killed her yet, anyway."

            Rin winced at the somewhat twisted compliment; funny that the enemy showed her more admiration than her own bodyguard.  

            Manji laughed at the assessment and turned back to her again, placing a hand on her head affectionately, "Don't be afraid to puke if it gets to ugly," he instructed with a grin.  Rin wondered what he'd do if she bit his hand when he pulled it away.  

            "Can we get this started, please?" the other man demanded, growing impatient at the delays.

            Manji smirked and shifted to take his position across from the assassin.  Rin paled as her annoyance was smothered by the return of almost paralyzing fear.  

            "Manji," she called urgently.  He paused and looked down at her expectantly.  Rin bit her lower lip in concern and to try and keep the quaver out of her voice, "This guy is really dangerous," she cautioned, "Just…" her eyes misted over and she scowled at him to cover her threatening tears, "Be careful.  I don't like having to put you back together." 

            He stared at her blankly for a moment before a wry sort of smile crossed his face, "One of the hazards of my employment," he reminded her as he turned away and moved to meet his opponent.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Annnnnnnnnd, end!  Hehehehe ^_^ I am so evil!  ::eyes the mutinous crowd:: ^_^;; Ok, ok, I'm joking!  Although this is a good scene ending… but I owe you guys for being so long in updating….

            The two men circled each other, each flexing grips and shifting muscles as they waited for the other to reveal a weakness.  Rin looked on miserably, feeling completely useless.  She shifted her wrists against the bonds holding her captive and winced as a splinter of rope lodged itself in her skin.  Reaching into her sleeve, she tried to find her small blades.  If she could get free maybe she could be of some help.  Her breath hissed through her teeth sharply as more splinters abraded her tender skin.  The assassin had bound her wrists tightly and awkwardly.  She couldn't quite twist her hands in the proper position to reach her weapons.  

            The sudden clang of metal brought her focus back to the fight.  She watched in fascination as the beginnings of a brutal dance unfolded before her.  It was rare that she actually had a chance to watch Manji fight.  He usually made sure she was otherwise occupied… or unconscious.  Rin followed the violent twisting of bodies and steel with widened eyes.  The assassin was a blur of arcing slashes, his curved blades catching the rays of the late morning sun and turning them to blood.  However, he wasn't what amazed her.  

            Rin stared at her protector in undisguised awe.  He was a transformed man from the fallen samurai she'd watched last night.  The skill of his opponent seemed to draw his own talents closer to the surface and the results were almost beautiful in their savagery.  She couldn't help but notice how the dampened state of his clothing perfectly outlined every flex of his muscles as he moved.  

            She decided it was probably time she continued to work on her own situation.  Tearing her eyes away from the stalemate battle, Rin once again tried twisting her hands to grasp the little wasps that would set her free.  She gritted her teeth as she realized that her gentle methods weren't going to work.  With a deep breath she steeled herself and roughly twisted her right hand up and against the rope, thrusting it inside the opposite sleeve and grabbing the hilt of a blade.  Her gasp of pain was drowned out by the labored breathing and angry clash of weapons.  Rin whimpered as she gingerly slid the blade out and positioned it to cut herself free.  The rope dragged against her raw and bleeding flesh and it was all she could do to keep from screaming in pain.  In a way she almost wished she'd been stabbed instead.  Deep wounds were never as painful.  

            A strangled cry that mirrored her internal one brought her head up with a snap.  She shrieked and threw herself to the side as Manji's blade flew past her head and clattered onto the porch.  A quick glance behind her revealed his hand still clutching the hilt.  She dragged her gaze back to the field, terrified by the sudden silence.  

            "What's the matter, immortal?" the assassin drawled, flicking his blade to the side to get the blood off, "I wouldn't think something like losing a little hand would bother you anymore.  It probably feels like a mosquito bite."  

            Manji's laughter was harsh as his remaining hand gripped its blade tightly, "Yeah, something like that."

            Then they were nothing but a blur of flashing steel again, but the shift in balance was clearly seen.  Rin hacked furiously at the ropes that bound her, ignoring the few times she missed and pierced her already bleeding flesh.  She was more intent on the battle before her and the growing number of small wounds spilling her bodyguard's blood onto the ground, making the grass slick.  

            Then it was over.  

            Rin watched in horror as the assassin slipped through Manji's guard.  He slid under the handless arm, bringing the scythe up and into the immortal's gut.  The blade finished its arcing slash, ripping free of Manji's flesh by tearing through the right side of his abdomen.  Rin screamed.  

            The assassin was up and on him almost before Manji hit the ground.  One knee pressed his chest to the ground while the other pinned his good arm.  A quick flip of his scythe removed the remaining hand, eliminating any remaining threat.  He slammed the top spike of the left blade into Manji's chest, leaning down on it to secure him even further.  Rin's hands shook violently as she desperately tried to free herself, tears frozen in her eyes.  She was too shocked by what she was seeing to cry.

            "Like I told the little girl earlier," the assassin grunted as he flipped the scythe in his right hand to press against Manji's throat, "this is nothing personal.  I can't help that you're both immortal and on the Itto Ryu bad-list."

            "Well that's a relief," Manji's voice cracked as he smirked up at the man, his teeth stained pink and blood dribbling from his mouth.

            The assassin stared at him for a moment before throwing his head back in a laugh, "You two really are a pair, you know?" he chuckled and leaned in, the scythe slowly pressing through flesh, "Now let's see if that rumor I heard was true."

            Rin's felt herself snap as the rope finally gave way to her knife.  Without thinking, she leaned back and grabbed Manji's forgotten sword, hand and all, and then hurtled herself from the porch.  The garbled screams of the man slowly being decapitated drowned out her approach.  The assassin was intent on the death throws of the immortal, eyes wide with fascination and mouth twisted in a grin.  

            Time seemed to slow down as she reached the pair.  Manji's one good eye was glazed in pain as it stared blankly at the sky, his mouth wide and blood streaming from the corners.  His free arm was braced against the hand digging the blade through his neck, the other writhing against the knee holding it down.  The complete absorption of the assassin's face in his task sent a chill down her spine.  He was enjoying every moment of Manji's pain.

            That was what really enraged her.  He was torturing her Manji, the stupid oaf she couldn't help but love.  A primitive voice inside her was screaming for vengeance, to protect him.  It demanded the blood of the twisted bastard who was torturing him and she was only too willing to comply.  A detached part of her mind that wasn't consumed by her bloodlust reminded her that she wasn't thinking very clearly.  Rin ignored it.  Everything from the past two days had just been too much for her.  She was buckling under the weight of all the stress and fatigue.  This idiot was just the last straw.  

            Her scream of rage brought the attention of both men to her.  Manji's eye rolled in her direction in surprise, the pain-glaze lifting slightly.  The assassin's head came up, eyes widening in disbelief.  

            Rin gripped Manji's hand and his sword between her own and swung.  

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BAM!  Some nice gore going on there.  Hehe, Manji's a stupid oaf ::snicker:: One more chapter!  Woot!  But… I don't quite know what to do with it yet ^_^;; I'm wondering how much fluff there should be… if I should resolve some relationship things (making it divert from the real storyline) or just leave things "as usual" (the story becoming a sort of long-lost chapter)… hmmm, any thoughts?  

ALSO!  So… yeah, this fic is wrapping up and my Kenshin fic won't be too much longer in the writing, and… I don't have any ideas for what to write next, heh.  So if any of you people have any challenges or ideas you'd like to see fleshed out by yours truly, let me know either by email or in a review (wink).  I've seen and/or read lots of stuff, so don't be shy or conservative with the series choices.  Chances are I know it.  I'd be sure to give credit to the idea master, of course.

A moment to say thanks to my, ah, staunch reviewers: 

**apsara– Hehe, please forgive my often-times sadistic sense of the dramatic.  Nice to know I'm keeping you on the edge of your seat, though ^_^**

**chewy-baka** - ::sparkly eyes:: You like my style?!  ::dance of joy:: Ha ha!  An admirer!  Take that, ah… ok, so I don't show my work a lot and its therefore not really had a chance for criticism ^.^;; My personal editor, a girl by the name of Fox, beats me over the head with grammar books (oh how I hate commas) but says little else negative.  Anyway, thanks for the praise and good luck with finals!  I rocked my Japanese oral.  So good.  

**CloverTear** - ^.^;; Please don't cry!  I will update with the swiftness!  Promise!  Hehe.  Only one more chapter to go, so no worries.  

**To Everyone Else** – Hehe, thanks for all the great praise!  I enjoy pleasing my audience.  It was really great to see so many reviews (and not one flame among them, blessed joy!) so quickly.  Until next time, then…     


	6. Fragile Immortality

Ok, so this last chapter has been hell to get out.  I've been so busy and… _home for the past week that, that… yeah, sorry this is so incredibly late.  I beg forgiveness.  I like being home (as in, not at college), but being home means there's… people… around all the time.  And people like me to do stuff with them.  Doing stuff means I'm not at my computer.  Grr… It's frustrating.  Sigh.  Again, I apologize._

K.  As far as where this is going to go… I got one vote for what to do with this chapter and that was ::clears throat:: "DIVERT!  DIVERT!  DIVERT!" hehehehe.  Well… you'll see what I did.  I was pretty much left to my own devices, so… yeah.  Warning: this gets a bit angsty.  Time for mood music ::plops Copeland onto her playlist::  Ah, nothing like a little emo to get the angst flowing.

**Fragile Immortality**

            _Rin's__ felt herself snap as the rope finally gave way to her knife.  Without thinking, she leaned back and grabbed Manji's forgotten sword, hand and all, and then hurtled herself from the porch.  The garbled screams of the man slowly being decapitated drowned out her approach.  The assassin was intent on the death throws of the immortal, eyes wide with fascination and mouth twisted in a grin.   _

_._

_._

_._

_            Her scream of rage brought the attention of both men to her.  Manji's eye rolled in her direction in surprise, the pain-glaze lifting slightly.  The assassin's head came up, eyes widening in disbelief.  _

_            Rin gripped Manji's hand and his sword between her own and swung.  _

            It had been a long time since she'd killed someone.  It was the only thought she could register for the moment.  She stared at the mass of blood and hair as it settled in the grass some distance away.  When she'd asked Master Sori for help.  That was the last time.  The thugs had dropped out of nowhere, forcing Manji and her to fight for their lives in the middle of the artist's yard.  Luckily the face wasn't looking at her.  She didn't know if she could handle that right now.  There would be surprise, probably.  There hadn't been much chance for fear or anything else.  Why was her stomach acting so funny?  She'd never been this weak around blood before.  Maybe it was because she hadn't been defending herself against an outside attack.  Really, now that she thought about it, had she acted honorably?  Maybe she should she have announced herself.  Or challenged him.

            Something dull and wet hit her in the leg and she looked down numbly.  A handless arm was slamming into her thigh again and again, and probably had been for some time.  Rin felt the world rush away and then slam back into her face.  She stumbled backwards and landed on the ground with a jarring thump.  It was enough.

            "Oh god," she gasped, clutching at her throat as her senses righted themselves.  How long had she been standing there, mind fragmented by shock?  She blinked hard, trying to focus her numbed brain back to reality and found herself staring at a baleful eye.  Apparently long enough for her bodyguard to start getting blue in the face.  

            "Manji!" she cried, crawling over to him.  She winced in sympathy as she pried the scythe from his throat.  Her movements were gentle, but the steel was buried almost halfway through his neck and pain was inevitable as she finally wrenched it free.  His breath hissed angrily through the gash in his throat, mouth gaping silently as he tried to yell at her.  Rin smiled weakly as he realized his vocal chords and his air source were no longer connected.  Glaring at her, he mouthed a few distinct words that she wouldn't fail to understand, voiced or not.  Rin understood.  She laughed, voice tinged with hysteria, at the strange comfort it gave her.  

            He was alive.

            Stumbling to her feet, she hooked the body of the formerly living assassin under the arms and dragged him far enough away that she wouldn't have to look at him while she tended to her bodyguard.  She was already on the edge as it was.  Staring at a headless corpse for an extended period of time wouldn't help matters.  

            Silently, she knelt beside Manji's prostrate form and began to rip long strips of cloth from the bottom of her kimono.  It was already ripped and stained beyond salvation, she might as well put it to use.  In almost no time Manji's hands were reunited with his body, festive red wrist bands marking the joyous occasion.  There had been a bit of angry hissing when she'd tried to introduce his left hand to his right arm, but other than that the bandaging had gone smoothly.  She was a bit worried about his neck, though.  She didn't want him to sit up because his side was already in the process of healing, but his head was tilted back just enough that the bloodworms were having a problem connecting.

            "Human bandage, at your service," she sighed as she knelt behind him and lifted his head and neck into her lap.  Perfect.  The incline pressed the wound closed and the little worms went quickly to work.  

            Rin sighed and let her head droop to her chest, eyes closed.  Her work was done for the moment and she could rest.  Below her, Manji began to grumble as he healed, but it would be a little while before he could talk again.  Cartilage and bone took longer to rebuild than muscles.  Judging by how thin a windpipe was, though, it wouldn't be more than two minutes, she calculated absently.  Just a few minutes and he would be yelling and growling at her again.  Telling her what an idiot she was for throwing herself into a fight with a guy who outclassed her.  Berating her for allowing herself to be caught in the first place.  Complaining that her lap wasn't soft enough, that the bandages were too tight.  

            Rin broke down in tears.  

            "Hey, kid," Manji's voice was subdued when he called her.  She shook her head violently at the concern she hear in it.  It was too much.  All of it was just too much this morning.  She felt horrible.  Dirty.  She wanted nothing more than to throw herself into the river and let it wash away the blood and tears and pain.  Maybe if she let it carry her long enough her troubles would be scrubbed away, lapping at the banks with the driftwood.  She'd let it carry her all the way to the ocean.  There she could float away from everything, losing herself in the salty embrace with the sun warming her skin.  Salty like the tears in her mouth.  Warm like the hand cupping her cheek.

            "Rin," he tried again.  Rin opened her eyes, startled.  His thumb stroked her neck gently, calluses catching on the downy hairs of her skin.  She stared down at him in amazement.  His face was a mess of dirt and blood, streaks from her tears creating a patchwork mask of wavy lines.  It was also soft with worry and something that looked almost like compassion.  

            "I-I'm sorry.  I'm crying on you," she choked out, sitting up quickly and using her sleeve to wipe the irrational wetness from her face.  A tug on the ring in her hair brought her face back down.  Rin blinked, paralyzed with shock as she felt the warmth and roughness of his hand slide around the back of her neck, forcing her eyes to meet his.

            "You ok?" he asked.  Rin stared at his face, full of scars and blood that her tears vainly tried to wash away.  His gaze, halved by chance but no less intense, was full of confusion but acceptance.  It was sharp and full of life.  He was alive.

            "You're alive," she sobbed out, a fresh spring of tears flowing unbidden down her face.  

            "I'm a goddam immortal, what did you expect?" he grouched.

            "Shut up!" her arms wrapped around his head beneath the chin and gripped him closer to her, "You're alive." 

            She was so wrapped up in her hysterical relief that she didn't see the rueful smirk that quirked the edges of her guardian's mouth.  She barely even felt him tug her head down, her forehead meeting his own as he let her cleanse them with her tears.

            The sun was drooping in the sky when Manji returned from the woods.  Rin watched him approach through half-lidded, puffy eyes.  She felt like she'd been crying for days.  Her former wish to float away at sea didn't seem so appealing anymore.  She'd had enough of salt water for at least a couple of years.  

            "Feeling better, kid?" Manji smirked as he stepped up onto the porch, planting a hand on her head briefly.  Rin shot him a halfhearted glare but didn't have the energy to make further protest.  She'd been wrung out and stretched dry.  He seemed to sense her exhaustion and didn't do more than give her a soft pat before disappearing into the shack.  

            She didn't know how long they'd stayed like that, hunched and sprawled in the middle of the field.  Eventually she'd felt herself dragged to her feet and led to their little home.  He'd calmly cleaned and bandaged her rope-eaten wrists and then steered her to her futon, ordering her to sleep.  She'd had no objections.  When she'd finally woken up, he'd been gone.  Her venture to the porch revealed that the body was as well.  That small trip outside had expended what little energy she'd gained from the nap and she'd slumped down against the same post she'd only recently been secured to.  That's where she'd remained until now, watching the day slowly ebb into its temporary death to wait to be reborn.  A lot like her immortal, if she thought about it.  Which she didn't.  Instead, she tried not to think.  

            Thinking hadn't been doing her much good today.

            "I brought dinner, hey," Manji announced as he returned to the porch.  Rin shrugged her shoulders listlessly.  She hadn't eaten all day, but she wasn't hungry.  Somewhere she rationalized that it was the combination of stress and shock making her depressed.  However, Rin firmly reminded herself, she was done with her brain for the day.  So she watched her bodyguard build a fire and spit two fat rabbits over it to roast.  She hadn't even noticed them when he'd walked up.  He must have done some hunting while he was in the woods burying-

            Rin tried desperately to shut her mind off.

            A fat drip of blood hissed in the fire.

            She stumbled to the side of the shack, clutching her sides as they heaved.  But there was nothing to be purged.      

            Manji didn't bother to disguise his scrutiny when she limped back to the porch, hugging onto the wooden post like it was a life support.  He knew the last two days had been hard on her but he hadn't realized how hard until earlier.  She looked like death.  Smelled like it too, he thought, remembering their earlier proximity.  Well, he could do something about that later.  

            "Eat," he commanded when the rabbits were cooked; thoroughly, for her benefit.  She stared at the stick with the food hanging enticingly from it like she'd never even heard of meat before.  Manji sighed and moved to the other side of the fire, plunking himself beside her on the porch.  

            "Look, I know you're dealing with some tough shit right now, but you need to eat, hey," he said reasonably, even managing to sound somewhat guardian-like.  He would never admit it to her, but he really didn't feel like much of a guardian.  Bodyguard, certainly, but it was hard to maintain the sense that he was older than her.  Sure, he had years over her, but he got the distinct impression that as far as growth was concerned, she was leagues ahead of him.  Already, she was a completely different person from the naive little whelp he'd first met.  He could almost watch her mature with each day and each new challenge they faced.  Still, growing up fast had its drawbacks.  Times like this were one of them.

            He sighed, irritation at not knowing what to do for her making his voice clipped, "Damn it, Rin, if you can't eat by yourself I'm gonna force feed you," he threatened, brandishing the stick with the rabbit in her face menacingly.  She looked at him, mild surprise bringing some spark back into her eyes.  Manji smirked, self satisfied.  That was all she needed, a little friendly ribbing.

            "I can't believe you're a samurai's daughter!" he went on, "A little blood and you're fainting and puking everywhere," he scoffed, glaring at her as he snatched his own rabbit from the fire with his free hand and began to dig in.  Any minute now, the sputtering would start.  He'd probably earn a pretty good sized dent in his head for it, but he didn't mind.  It made him itchy when she brooded like this.  

            "Yeah, pathetic," she agreed softly.  Manji stared at her, meal forgotten, shocked by the tone of her voice.  Shit, was she going to start crying again?  He waited nervously for what would happen next, but she simply took the stick he was still offering her and began to eat with slow, deliberate care.  She didn't even seem to notice that he didn't do anything but watch her for a few long minutes before he belatedly realized that there was grease dripping onto his lap from his half-eaten supper.  

            The rest of the meal fell into an uneasy silence.  Manji kept stealing glances at his young companion, unable to shake the feeling that there was something much different about this pout session.  Was he supposed to do something more?  He'd talk if she wanted, but didn't know where to start.  Hell, he wasn't even sure what was bothering her this time.  Well, only one way to find out.

            "So what the hell is your deal?" he asked gruffly, tossing the remains of his meal on the fire and leaning back on his elbows.  Rin shrugged listlessly, head leaning against the post and hands lying limply in her lap.  She looked normal, he decided, but didn't… feel normal.  What was so different about this fight that she'd be acting like this?  A rare flash of insight prompted the next question.

            "Did you really think I was going to die?" he asked incredulously.  Rin flinched, her eyes darting towards him for a moment, guiltily.  Manji stared at her and then threw his head back, laughing.

            "What?" she demanded.  He sat up and hooked an arm around her shoulders, hauling her into an awkward hug.  She was just too damn funny sometimes.

            "Manji, what're you doing?" Rin sputtered angrily, trying to keep herself from falling off the porch.  His impromptu embrace had twisted her sideways and her legs were sliding over the edge.        

            "Knocking some sense back into your damn head," he chuckled, and suddenly her legs were being hauled up and settled across his lap.  Rin would have been flustered by the sudden intimacy if she hadn't been busy trying to throw insults back in his face.  

            "Shut up," he told her, voice calm as the last of his laughter died away.  She glared up at him.  It died when she saw his solemn expression.  

            "What is it?" she mumbled, wary at the surreal nature of the situation.  Since when did Manji hold her?  And since when was Manji solemn?  She stared at him, unable to look away from his grim face.  He seemed almost like a different person.

            "I'm not going to die, Rin," he said, "I'm immortal." 

            She blinked at him, surprised by his serious attempt to comfort her, "I know that," she finally managed, tearing her eyes away to watch her hand pick at the bandage on her wrist.

            "So why the hell did you get so friggin' weird back there?" he demanded.  Rin frowned.  He was being surprisingly gentle with her.

            "Well…" she struggled to find the words, "Knowing in my head that you can't die and _really knowing that you can't die are two different things." _

            "Idiot," he snorted.  Rin felt herself bristle in defense.

            "Ok, so maybe he couldn't have killed you, but what if he'd cut you to pieces and buried you all over Japan?" she demanded, shuddering as the image of her being forced to haul parts of her bodyguard across the country flashed through her mind again.  It was frightening to think how fragile his immortality really was.  

            Manji sighed and tucked her head under his chin.

            "I guess that could have happened," he conceded quietly, "But it didn't.  So forget it.  You'll make yourself crazy if you dwell on that kind of shit."

            Rin nodded absently, more than willing to take him up on his advice.  Still, it was hard to push away the ache of fear in her chest.  Lately, every battle was close, but this had been too close.  It had been awhile since she'd seen him so near death, even if he couldn't really reach the ultimatum.  And the assassin had been so confident and casual about the way he'd win.  He almost did.  If she hadn't stepped in when she had…

            Maybe that was it.  The thought that Manji's life could rest in her hands, her woefully incapable hands, was more frightening than his possible death.  He protected her.  It wasn't meant to be the other way around, and with good reason.  She'd been lucky these past two days.  Next time…

            "Manji," she muttered after awhile, almost lulled to sleep by the rock of his chest as it rose and fell.

            "Mmm,"

            "I want you to make me stronger."

            "…Shiiiiiiit," he groaned, free hand scrubbing his face wearily, "this again?  Kid, you're not giving me a goddam chance.  I'm trying to help you, what more do you want?  I mean, it's not like you can just wake up one morning and be tough," he sucked in a big breath to continue and started coughing, "And damn it, you friggin' smell like a horse's ass!" he roared.  Rin yelped as she felt herself hauled roughly to her feet.  

            "W-what?!" she stammered, reeling on her feet as he disappeared into the shack.  He appeared seconds later, her sleeping yukata and the bath bucket in hand.  Growling under his breath, he took a firm hold of her upper arm and began the walk down to the river.  Rin stumbled after him for a few minutes before she truly realized what was going on.   

            "What are you doing, you pervert?" she shrieked, trying to break free of his grasp.  Manji turned on her, dipping down as he did.  Rin blinked as she watched the ground bounce beneath her over his shoulder.  Again, it was a few minutes before her exhausted brain could process this new information.  By the time it did, they were already at the river.

            She'd just started struggling when he suddenly bent forward and she was shivering in the river's cold water.

            "Here," he squatted before her on the bank and fished in the water until he found her hand.  When he did, he shoved both soap and washcloth in it and stood. 

            "You'll feel better if you clean up," he advised as he sat down and turned his back on her.

            Rin stared at him, the coldness of the water forgotten for a moment.  

            "What are you doing?" 

            "Quit asking so goddam many questions and just take your damn bath!" he barked without turning his head.

            "Why don't you go back to the cabin?" she demanded.

            "Because I can't trust you not to get your scrawny ass in trouble!" 

            She couldn't argue with that.  "How do I know you won't peek?" she returned instead.  

            He chuckled at that, "I could if you want," he leered at her over his shoulder.  She could practically see the trickle of sweat roll down his face when she did nothing but glare at him.  That was usually her cue to grab something dull and heavy to pound his head with.  In fact, he'd been trying for that the whole evening.  She wasn't stupid, she'd noticed.  And while it was touching that he was trying to make her feel better, it wasn't the method she wanted.  He'd been doing better on the porch.

            "What, you want me to watch you bathe?" he scoffed, but his voice held a note of reluctant curiosity.  Rin chucked the wash bucket at his head.

            "Of course not!" she shrieked, more outraged by the depths of his density than the actual proposition.  But she couldn't tell him that.  Well, she could if she wasn't the coward she knew she was.  

            "Well then what the hell do you want?" he asked, obviously exasperated by the entire conversation.

           _What do I want? The question echoed in her head.  It was simple, really.  She'd lost sleep to see that he was healed, she'd ripped her own body to shreds to save him, she'd succumbed to a black depression at the thought of losing him.  Could anyone really be so blind?  _

            Well, he did only have one eye.

            Rin sighed and sank back into the water.  The small burst of adrenaline that came with the bickering had dissipated, and the day was politely tapping her on the shoulder.  Her body thrummed with pain and exhaustion in response.  

            "Nothing," she finally answered.  It was a lie, but right now she was too tired to care.  

            "Go back to the shack, Manji," she ordered softly, "I'll be fine."

            He watched her carefully for a while before pushing to his feet and sauntering into the trees.  

            It took her longer to bathe than normal.  Her obi was heavy with water and difficult to unravel, even as simple as it was.  The soap had to be fished out of the current a few times as well, slipping easily through her tired and cold-numbed fingers.  When she finally wrapped her yukata around her chilled flesh, she was shaking with more than just cold.  Still, she did feel better, just as Manji'd promised.

            As if thinking about him conjured his presence, he was suddenly there, stepping from the trees and moving towards her.  Rin blinked in surprise and had just enough time to wonder if he'd really been peeking when he scooped her up into his arms.  She stared up at him as he began the walk home, but he kept his gaze forward.  When she realized he wasn't going to explain himself, she gave in to the odd luxury and let her head droop onto his shoulder.  

            "You're like a block of ice, kid.  Why the hell did you stay in there so damn long?" he growled as they entered the dimness of the shack.  He deposited her on her futon and moved to find the extra blanket.  She watched him tiredly, eyes heavy with sleep.  When he settled the blanket around her shoulders, she automatically fell to her pillow and the nothingness it offered.

            Instead, she met a pair of arms.  Rin felt herself stirred back into wakefulness as Manji tugged her into his lap again, leaning against the wall behind her bed.  She looked up at him questioningly as he crooked the leg behind her back up so she wouldn't slump over.  He gave her what was probably supposed to be a scowl.

            "Returning the favor, hey," he explained shortly and closed his eye determinedly, settling his head against the wall.  Rin smiled at him wanly, too tired to let the sensible side of her talk her into retreating to the futon.  It was his idea anyway.  

            With a small sigh of content she snuggled against his chest, finding the crook of his neck with her forehead, and gave herself to sleep.

            "Is this what you want?" he murmured suddenly.

            Rin was already halfway immersed in oblivion as she whispered a drowsy reply, "Close enough… for now."  Then she was lost to the world, not knowing or really caring if he'd heard her.

            He did.

            In the darkness, Manji smiled.

::falls over:: It's done!  It's over!  I…. FINISHED SOMETHING!!!!  WAH HA HA!!!  ::sputters to a stop with a rueful grin:: Yes, well, I'm one of those conceptual writers.  Good with concepts, not so good with seeing them carried through.  I've been writing for about six years now but it's still a shock and thrill when I see something completed.  Heh.  So much for the published life, eh?  Do you like the "hey" thing?  I was looking over my copies of the manga for dialogue reference and realized he does that a lot.  A bit OOC, too, I think.  Oh well… it wasn't terribly out of character and I liked it.  Rin certainly did, I think.  Hehe.  

So, as you can see, I decided to go somewhere in between the two paths of "lost chapter" and "divert-from-storyline."  Things are pretty much the same, but there's been a bit of resolve.  A hinting at future development, if you will.  Yeah, I'm a coward, but I got really scared that any "development" attempts I made would be hugely out of character, and one of the things I was going for with this whole thing was keeping them _in _character.  

Ah… I like it.  It came out a lot better, and darker ^_^;;,than I'd anticipated, but I like it.  Well, thanks for all the fun and support, guys!  Let me know if you want to see something else, whether BOTI related or otherwise.  Ja!           


End file.
